I have not been a runner for very long...about 6 months...and I just turned 50.  I have always been a competitive swimmer, so I have good endurance, but I'm finding that running is much more of a "mental" game for me....my plan is to do a walk/run program, but I am totally confused with my pace...some say run 1 min, walk 1 min...others say run 6 min, walk 3 min...others says run 15 min, walk 5....what am I supposed to believe?  I have about 5 weeks left...and have just been getting in as much walk/run time as I can...tomorrow is my long day...8 miles...then next weekend 10....then I'll start to scale back...but I'm at a loss as to what others would suggest for a newbie runner like myself...my pace seems to be about 15 min when I walk/run...

Also, the race starts very early and I'm hearing it's supposed to be cold in Vegas in December...I was told to wear layers and dump them as I run, with the plan that I'll never see them again....is this the way it works?  Just curious....I would love to hear what those of you that have run distances would wear...I esp need to wear gloves, as my hands get very cold...

I guess what I'm seeking is advice from those of you that have done these races...I will have to decide what works best for me, but i truly admire the women who have run these races before me...and I want to learn from them...thank you for any advice you can offer...for anything...the meal the night before...breakfast...how much sleep...stretching...I have read books, but I like to hear from the people...

 

Thanks so much...I'll let you know how I do once the race is over!

 

Denise

• Currently 4.0/5 Stars.

Tags: women's running, half marathon training, distance running, marathon, rock and roll marathon, Las Vegas, hydration, diet, newbie, over 50, running gear, nutrition, motivation

@tullpsn3: "ditto!" Posted by: bmoore on Nov 01, 2010 at 09:25 PM

First, relish in the fact that you are doing this at all! You are awesome! I do the walk/run. I used to do 5 min run and 1 min walk. I now run when I can and walk when I feel that I have to walk or need a break. I have found that the longer I have been at this the less I feel that I need to walk. The important thing to remember is not to get caught up in the excitement of the race and go too fast. Since this is your first race, I would concentrate on making sure that you finish. Don't worry about your time, relax, have fun and enjoy the 13.1. Good luck! Please let us know how you did! Posted by: tulipsn3 on Oct 31, 2010 at 11:42 PM

Hi Denise! First of all, congrats on being a new runner! I think you'll love the half marathon distance. I am going to assume that you are doing the Rock N Roll event on 12/5, am I right? So it sounds like you are at a good place in terms of your long runs to do the distance in a run/walk format. OK, so in terms of your run/walk ration I highly recommend Jeff Galloway's plan. Take a look by copying this URL into your browser: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon.html. You will also find the Galloway 18 week plan at this web page, but obviously, you haven't got another 10 weeks to train for this. I would say that this is totally doable for you, but that you should stick to dong it at your 15 minute pace (don't worry about time), and be SURE not to run your longest distance less than 2 weeks before the actual race. Yes, the temperature when you start your race is likely to be in the low 50s and going up to the 70s by the time you are done, so planning on stripping as you go is a good idea. I do know a lot of women that just shed their garments as they go - but depending upon the start time temps it may not be necessary. I always do a supportive bra/shirt, long sleeve T shirt that allows me to roll the sleeves to my upper arms and a lightweight shell of some kind. As it warms, I can remove the shell and twist it around my waist (no wind drag) and roll up my sleeves. I can't help it - I just don't want to lose my running gear at a race. Anyone else have some ideas about this? Posted by: bmoore on Oct 31, 2010 at 08:39 PM